1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of homogenizing devices for liquid substrates, and more particularly, to a single-use, two-part agitation device.
2. Description of Related Art
When compared with previous years, modern laboratory assays require relatively small quantities of sample to obtain accurate results. When utilizing a reduced quantity of sample, however, the importance of obtaining complete homogenization without the introduction of contaminants is increased to maintain accuracy of the sample reading. Preventing the introduction of contaminants with the disrupter device is crucial when working with contaminant-sensitive samples, such as DNA or RNA. Additionally, agitation of such minute quantities must be performed without damaging the device, the sample housing, or spillage of the sample.
Conventional laboratory mixers are well known in the art. Generally, these devices possess an outer shaft (stator), and a central inner shaft (rotor), each having disruptor teeth at the lower end. Ball bearings or other types of bearings are generally provided between the rotor and stator, allowing the rotor to rotate while allowing the outer stator to remain fixed in position. Activation of the rotor draws the liquid substrate upwards to the rotor and outwardly towards the teeth of the stator, subjecting the liquid to the shearing action of the teeth. Variations in the size and shape of the teeth may affect the homogenization of the substrate.
Past devices have generally incorporated an ultrasonic pressure field to increase the agitation of solid particulates and increase homogeneity of the sample. Usually, the rotor is activated to turn at a determined velocity, resulting in the ultrasonic pressure field. The pressure field disintegrates solid particulates in the liquid, causing a homogenized sample for analysis.
Since modem high-speed analysis requires numerous samples to be homogenized in a relatively short amount of time, decontamination of the disruptor device following each use becomes impractical. The increased surface area of the teeth and the channels formed by the interacting teeth increase the difficulty of ensuring decontamination of the device. Additionally, due to the increased economic costs of properly assembling and aligning the mixing teeth, ball bearings, stator, and rotor, applying such mixers to single-use applications is not feasible for many researchers in the biological sciences.
Thus, it has been found that needs exist for an improved disrupter device to adequately homogenize a sample while minimizing or eliminating the introduction of contaminants. Needs further exist for a simple and economically feasible disposable disruptor device. It is to these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.